Friday, February 8, 2013

The I Haiku You Trifecta

Welcome to the first Sharp-Schu trifecta of 2013. We hope you will celebrate Betsy Snyder's I Haiku You with us. It's the perfect picture book to read aloud on Valentine's Day and give away on International Book Giving Day.

I wrote the words in red, and Betsy wrote the words in black.

I Haiku You is a book that's especially close to my heart. It's a collection of simple poems of affection and appreciation for the young and the young at heart. It's the book that I've always wanted to make, but that surprised me by taking the form of haiku.

My illustrations are created partly by hand and partly on the computer (well, I suppose I do use my hands for the digital part too). I paint textures and patterns traditionally, scan them into the computer, and collage all the pieces and parts digitally in Photoshop. Working on the computer gives me the freedom to play, make edits and send files easily—it's a good fit for me. And I like the challenge of working on the computer but making the finished piece look handmade.

Valentine’s Day is not just for schmoopy lovers! It's for anyone you think is special—kids, sibs, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends...even pets!

wiggle-wag tail love,

sloppy-smoochy-poochy love,

true-furry-friend love!

I draw inspiration fromnature, travel, childhood memories, kids (especially my niece and nephews), and other artsy souls (Did you know creativity is contagious?). My book ideas bounce around in my head for a while before I'm ready to put them down on paper. When my head starts to feel like a crowded trampoline, it's time to get my ideas out and start writing or sketching. When I get stuck, the best thing I can do is step away for a while or move on to another idea. Ideas hardly ever come when I'm staring at a blank page waiting around for them.

Poetry isfun (really, it is)! I especially love the challenge of writing haiku because each one is like solving a seventeen-syllable word puzzle. I find that having the structure of those 3 lines and seventeen syllables actually encourages my creativity and forces me to find the best solutions that fit.

Reading isa vacation! It gives us a break from our lives and ourselves. It's a time machine with the power to transport us to any time and place. How cool is that?

Picture books are still my favorite. I loved them as a child and I adore them as an adult (maybe even more, if that's possible). Done well, they are a thoughtfulmarriage of pictures and words that encourage our imaginations and fill our heads with possibilities. They are diverse, teaching us about differences, and yet somehow they are also universal, connecting us to each other. And maybe most importantly, they give us an opportunity to curl up with the little ones we love.

Mr. Schu, you should have asked me about how to make homemade haiku fortune cookies (with stickers!)—and why I can write off a waffle cone maker as a business expense.

About Mr. Schu

I am a part-time lecturer at Rutgers University and the Ambassador of School Libraries for Scholastic. I work diligently to put the right book in every child's hand. Book trailers are one way to connect readers with books. (All opinions shared are on own.)